1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to protective devices for vehicles and vehicle passengers, and more particularly to shields against rain, for use with vehicles.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As anyone who regularly uses a car can attest, it is frequently necessary to leave a car in inclement weather. If, for example, it is raining out when a passenger needs to leave a car, the passenger must have an umbrella and must go to the trouble of opening it inside the car in order to avoid getting both the passenger and the inside of the car wet from the rain. If the passenger is carrying baggage, matters become all the more complicated. For these reasons, there is a need for an umbrella apparatus for use on a vehicle that will automatically open an umbrella in a desired position outside the car without the hassle associated with manual umbrellas. The umbrella should protect the passengers and vehicle interior from water and be usable separate from the vehicle, so that once the umbrella is deployed, the passenger can simply take the opened umbrella away from the car, to wherever the passenger may be going. Because of the clear need for such an umbrella apparatus, many attempts have been made to fulfill this need, invariably without complete success.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,426,113, issued on Aug. 19, 1947, to Robert E. Northcutt, describes an umbrella holder for use inside a car. This patent does not suggest a self-powered deployment mechanism or storage of an umbrella outside a vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,543,971, issued on Oct. 1, 1985, to Vladimir Sirota, describes an umbrella holder to be mounted inside an automobile. The holder ejects and retracts the umbrella. The ejection and retraction are powered by a motor that uses electric power which can be depleted. This patent does not suggest use of the holder outside a vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,562,849, issued on Jan. 7, 1986, to Vladimir Sirota, describes a spring-powered umbrella unit to be mounted externally on a car. The unit deploys an umbrella to protect passengers from rain. Deployment occurs through a complicated, expensive mechanism that is not adapted for use with conventional umbrellas. Moreover, umbrellas in the umbrella unit of this patent cannot readily be separated from the unit for use separate from the car. Thus, in order to be protected from rain, an exiting passenger would have to have an additional, conventional umbrella, thereby obviating any potential advantages of the invention in this patent.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,807,920, issued on Feb. 28 1989, to Hiroyuki Fujiki et al., describes a storage container for an umbrella. The container is integral with the car. The container can eject the umbrella, but such ejection does not deploy the umbrella in an open configuration.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,150,728, issued on Sep. 29, 1992, to Catherine Stark, describes an umbrella having magnetic members for releasably attaching the umbrella to a car. This patent does not provide an umbrella storage container or a deployment mechanism.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,188,331, issued on Feb. 23, 1993, to Gurney D. Baines, describes an umbrella support bracket for use with the trunk of a car. This patent does not show an umbrella deployment mechanism.
U.S. Pat. No. Des. 350,527, issued on Sep. 13, 1994, to Timothy Parlor, Sr., depicts a combined umbrella holder and wind deflector for a vehicle. This patent does not show an umbrella deployment mechanism.
Australian Patent 237718, published on Jan. 14, 1960, issued to George Fritzmeier, on Feb. 22, 1962, describes an umbrella for a tractor that is always in an open configuration. There is no deployment mechanism.
German Patent 35 09 120, issued on Sep. 18, 1986, to Klaus Becher, describes an umbrella having gas compression springs. This patent does not show an umbrella specifically configured for use with a vehicle.
German Patent 42 11 530, issued on Oct. 7, 1993, to Rolf Stemmler, describes an umbrella of up to 500 square meters having a rotation mechanism powered by a motor and alternately by a back-up motor.
Japanese Patent 56-50812, issued on Oct. 2, 1979, to Masao Watanabe, describes an umbrella container housed within a car door. This patent does not show a deployment mechanism, nor suggest storage of an umbrella outside a vehicle.
Great Britain Patent 2 202 141, issued on Sep. 21, 1988, to Joachim Seidel, describes a tilting umbrella frame. There is no suggestion in this patent of using an umbrella with a vehicle.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.